Storm
by georgiapeachs
Summary: Submission for the love of Caryl contest on tumbler. 'While on a run Daryl and Carol realize their feeling for one another.'


**Storm**

**By georgiapeachs**

Daryl was lying on the floor of the lobby of the small hotel they were holed up in. They should have been back at the prison by now. He Carol, Glenn and Maggie had been on an overnight run when they had run into a large herd. They had decided to take shelter in a small hotel for the night and wait for them to pass. He had been trying to get to sleep for the past hour. He glanced over at Carol, she looked like she was just as much trouble as he was. Who could sleep with all the noise that Glenn and Maggie were making from the office that they had went into two hours ago after finishing supper.

"Damn it don't they ever get tired?" he grumbled.

Carol chuckled. "I think it's nice,". She said rolling over on her and propping up on her elbow. "They're happy and their and love."

"Yeah, well they could be quitter about it." He said just a pitched squeal came from the office. He picked up his boot and threw it at the door as hard he could. "Knock it off in there, some of us are actually trying sleep." The only response was giggle. Followed by a few moments of silence before the moaning started again.

He looked over at Carol who was smirking at him. "What the hell you smiling at?" he barked.

"Nothing. I think I just figured out why you're so grouchy."

"Oh yeah, and whys that." He said rolling onto his side so he could see her better.

"Your jealous, because Glenn's getting some and you're not. If you ask me you'd be much happier if you got laid."

His mouth hung open in shock. He couldn't believe Carol said that to him. And there she was staring at him with that same smirk on her face. She didn't even have the decency to look sheepish. Before he could stop himself he said. "That an offer?"

Carol smirk immediately dropped and she turned about ten shades of red. "I um… I was… I just." She stuttered.

"Relax," he said rolling over onto his back. "I was just teasing ya know like you were doing."

"Oh yeah, sure."she said laying back down.

Was that disappointment he heard in her voice? Could she have thought he was serious? No, of course not, Carol didn't feel that way about him. He wasn't good enough for her she was too good, too beautiful for him.

He took one last look at before closing his eyes and drifting off. He awoke a few hours later to a loud clap of thunder. His eyes flew open and his whole body immediately tensed. 'Fuck, why did it have to storm now, with Carol laying just a few feet away from him.' Just then was a loud clap of thunder and a flash of lighting lit up the sky. His chest started to feel tight and he was having trouble breathing, 'Damn it, if he didn't get control of himself. He was going to wake Carol up and then she was going to know what a pussy he was for being afraid of a thunderstorm.

He lay there with his eyes closed and tried to lay still and getting breathing under control, when heard a small voice, "Daryl are you alright?" he opened his eyes and looked over at her. She was sitting up and staring at him with a look of concern.

"I'm fine," he said in a horse whisper. "Storm just woke me, is all. Go back to sleep." He said willing himself to relax.

Another loud clap of thunder caused him to jump and slam his eyes shut. He looked over at Carol she was still looking at him. Before he could say anything she closed the distance between them and placed her hand on his chest and started rubbing small circles. "It's okay," she said. "It's just a storm. It will pass soon." He wanted to tell her he was fine and to quit touching him. But her touch was calming him. He felt himself relaxing just a little. Until there was another clap of thunder and grabbed ahold of the hand that Carol had on his chest.

"Fuck," he muttered. Now he really did look like a pussy. He tried to pull away from her but she wouldn't have it. She pulled him even closer to her.

"Daryl it's okay if you're scared." She said squeezing his hand in hers.

"Aint scared, " he said and tried to pull away again. But Carol wouldn't let him.

"It's alright, to be scared. The world's not going to come to an end if you admit your scared. I'm not going to tell anyone."

He opened his mouth to deny it again, but then closed it. What was the use? His secret was already out. He sighed. "Sorry for waking you. You can go back to sleep now."

"Don't be sorry and I'm not going back to sleep until the storms over. And I know you're okay." She said reaching over and grabbing her blanket and pillow and lying down next to him.

They laid there in silence for a few minutes as the storm raged on and Carol continued to rub soothing circles on his chest. "It was storming like this the night my Mama died." He said suddenly.

"Oh Daryl," she said moving her hand to his face. He caught her hand in his and squeezed it.

"Ever since then, whenever it storms like this it reminds of the night she died." He said in a small voice sounding very childlike.

She wanted to say something comforting. But this was the most revealing he had ever been to her; and she didn't want to spook into not talking anymore and it seemed like he really needed to.

"I was eight and Merle was back in juvie for the hundredth time. My dad was real drunk that night; he just lost his job and was looking for someone to take it out on. And I guess I just got in the way night cause he started hitting me with his belt. Telling me what a worthless son I was. That's when Mama came in and started yelling at him to leave me alone and was trying to pull him away from me. She'd been drinking too. He turned on her and started screaming at her to mind her own business or she was gonna be sorry."

"He started chasing her down the hall, she was at the top of the stairs when she slipped on the rug and fell. Rolled all the way to bottom. Broke her neck. I ran to her and tried to wake her. But she wouldn't move. My dad came down and told me I better keep mouth shut when the cops got there. "

"Told them she fell slipped and fell. Since she was drunk they believed it. And I was too scared to say anything different. "

"It was all my fault she died."

"No it wasn't ," Carol said pulling him closer to her.

"Yes it was. If she hadn't tried to stop him. She wouldn't have died." He said starting to break down. He turned his head away from her.

"Daryl." She said. "Look at me," she said.

He reluctantly turned to look at her. She reached for his face and wiped a tear that and managed to escape his eye. "It wasn't your fault. She was just doing what a mother was suppose do. Protecting her child." She said trying to keep herself from crying. "You didn't do anything wrong." She took his hand in hers and kissed his knuckles.

He silently nodded his head. He believed her. Carol wouldn't say anything that wasn't true. "Thank you." He pulled his hand from her and used the fingertips to brush against her lips. They were so soft. What would they taste like? He watched as she licked the spot where his finger had been. There was a look her eyes that he couldn't remember seeing there before. Want. Could she want him as much as he wanted her. He needed to know. He sat and put one hand behind her head pulled her too him. She froze against him not kissing him back

For a moment he worried he had misinterpreted her. He was about to pull away and apologize when she began to kiss him back, softly biting on his bottom lip seeking entrance. He opened his at the same tim each one fighting for dominance. He moved his hand to her back in an attempt to pull her closer. Her hands fisted on the front of his shirt as she let out a small moan. He moved down to kiss along her neck. She moaned louder this time, as she pulled away to push him onto his back.

He stopped her as she was about to climb on top of him. "Hold up," he said.

"What's wrong,?" she panted, clearly out of breath her face flushed.

"Nothin ' wrong." He said brush his hand against her cheek.

She nuzzled her face against his hand. "Then why did you stop?"

"Because, we aint doing this here. Not on this dirty floor and not with Glenn and Maggie in the other room. You deserve better. We deserve better. " he said lightly kissing her on the lips.

She smiled at him and kissed him back. "You know, that bed is still set up in in the warden's office from Glenn and Maggie's honeymoon. I sure they wouldn't mind if we borrowed it."

He grinned and laid back pulled her with him. She laid her head on his chest and he wrapped his arms around her. Pulling her close as he possibly could. "Don't care if they mind or not. They'll just have to get over it." He tilted her chin up kissed her lightly on the lips.

"Now close yer eyes and get some sleep. We're gonna have a busy day tommorw. And I want you good and rested for tomorrow night. Got plans for you. " She smiled into his chest and closed her eyes.

"Love ya, woman." He said resting his head on top of hers.

"Love you to Daryl,"

They fell asleep wrapped in each other's arms. And that's exactly how Glenn and Maggie found them the next morning.

A/N: I hope they weren't out of character. This is my first time writing Caryl. Also I know that wasn't how Daryl's mom died in the show. But I needed to change it to make it fit with story. Thanks for reading. Please review.


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